Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am happy to have an opportunity once again to speak on this subject. Through the good offices of the Ceann Comhairle, I had a Topical Issue debate on the subject last week. For that, I was grateful. I believe, having listened to the various speeches in the House, that it is generally recognised that a situation is developing in Belarus caused by its hijacking of a civilian aircraft en route to a destination in the EU. This is sinister. It is terrorist activity and it needs to be dealt with. If it is not dealt with forcefully and convincingly, there will be repeats. One should remember that in the not-too-distant past in the region of eastern Europe in question, aeroplanes, including passenger aeroplanes, have been shot down, resulting in the annihilation of all the passengers. I cannot imagine the terror on board the Ryanair flight when it was hijacked and directed to a different location than the one it had in mind. What occurred was done irrespective of international law. International law did not matter and does not matter to some people.

I congratulate the Minister and Minister of State for the tremendous work they have done in this area and for bringing this issue to the fore, not only here but also across the rest of Europe. I have no doubt they will continue to do so through the United Nations. If this kind of atrocity is not dealt with meaningfully, it will happen again.

I said last weekend that I believe the international criminal courts are the places to deal with these matters. If people have to be tried in their absence, let them be, but there must be retribution. If there is not, the circumstances will arise time and again. It would only remain to be seen who would take the opportunity next to do something similar. If it goes unpunished, there will be repeats.

As others have mentioned, that are various locations across the globe where there are major and frightening abuses of human rights. People say from time to time that we do not have civil liberties, including in Ireland, but it must be realised that in some parts of the globe, things are happening to peace-loving people, including women and children, that are appalling. That these abuses should happen in the 21st century is a sad reflection on society. It is a sad reflection on humanity and on what humanity can do to humanity at certain times. Sometimes it is in times of war but sometimes not. Widespread and large-scale abuses against women and children all over Africa and in some parts of eastern Europe, including through the slave trade and the trafficking of women and little children, occur without demur. Nobody raises a word about them and those who do are deemed to comprise a fringe group.

I would say the time has come for the international community to recognise the seriousness of the situation that is unfolding before us and to take clear action. We should let it be known to the perpetrators that whoever they are and wherever they are, there will be retribution and the price that can and will be paid is high from their point of view.

I believe people will always suffer. The crucial issue is that people do something about it when someone raises the issue. However, people have to raise it again and again. We should introduce sanctions in every which way possible to ensure the perpetrators know full well now that whatever they do in future there will be a price to be paid.

See this speech in context